Head Start:

Dane County Parent Council operates two Head Start classrooms within the Packer Community Center. The morning class serves children from outside the housing community. The afternoon class serves children from within the housing community. Head Start is a pre-school program for children ages 3 to 5, which focuses on school-readiness and socialization skills. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their child's education program in a number of ways: as classroom volunteers, through monthly teacher home visits, and through monthly Parent Advisory Council meetings. The Packer housing community has the most active PAC in the Dane County, with the highest percentage of parents turning out for these monthly meetings. The Packer Head Start classroom employs two residents, Wanda Verdon as a Teacher Assistant, and Belinda Ross as cook. Several parents volunteer on a daily basis: Jane Buell, Christen Coyle, Ebony Kenerson, and Henriette Marshall.

A typical day in the Head Start classroom might include: breakfast or lunch, storytime & songtime, cooperative craft projects which focus on developing pattern recognition, cutting and drawing skill work, sharing & talking time, outdoor play, rest time, free play time, and lots of encouragement and praise.